‘Thunderbolts*' Called 'Fresh' and 'Vivid' by Critics After a String of MCU Misfires

Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts* movie is one of the superhero company’s best films in years, according to critics. The forthcoming film follows five antiheroes—Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko)—as they deal with a The Void — a villain who is, according to a line from the trailers, stronger than all of the Avengers combined. 

According to the first batch of reviews, Thunderbolts* is a return to form for Marvel, whose cinematic universe has had its fair share of misfires in recent years, including February's Captain America: Brave New World, which currently sits at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

IGN’s Clint Cage praises Pugh and Harbour in his review, writing, “The pair’s father-daughter dynamic ranges from a 'real emotional need' to 'embarrassing me in front of my friends'—they so clearly and so sweetly depend on each other, it’s difficult not to love them. And it doesn’t hurt that Harbour chews every piece of scenery he can get his metal teeth on.”

John Nugent of Empire Magazine wrote in a slightly more critical review that although not every aspect of the film suceeds, it’s “fresh and thoughtful in a way recent Marvel efforts haven’t always managed.” 

Jake Coyle of AP News praises the movie's exploration of mental health, writing that the “film that finds vivid comic-book imagery to render authentic real-life.”

Perhaps the biggest endorsement for the film’s role in Marvel’s future comes from Molly Freeman for Screen Rant, who says that, “It's a little rough around the edges, but it has a good heart, and features a great cast of characters who are the underdogs of the franchise—and who are bound to become fan-favorites (if they aren't already). After Thunderbolts*, I'm more excited about the direction of the MCU than I have been in quite a while.”

Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2.